New results of research at the Malisina stijena rock shelter in Montenegro

The article presents the results of archaeological research of the Malisina Stijena site performed in 2019. This rock shelter is located in the north ofMontenegro in the gorge of the Cehotina River. First excavations at the site were conducted in the 1980s by Serbian archaeologists. Research at the site in 2017 was resumed by the Russian-Montenegrin Expedition. In the field season of 2019, excavations were carried out in the central part of shelter, where lithological layers A, B1, B2, and C1 were studied over the area of 7 m2. New results confirmed the earlier assumption on the presence of the Middle and Upper Paleolithic complexes in the cultural and chronological sequence of the site. Primary reduction in the lithic industries of the Middle Paleolithic from layers C1, B2, and B1 was largely oriented at producing flakes by radial, Levallois, and irregular splitting. The toolkit included both Middle Paleolithic (side-scrapers, retouched points) and Upper Paleolithic (end-scrapers, tanged tools) artifacts, but without the features of the Aurignacian morphology. The economic activity of the inhabitants of the rock shelter in this period was primarily focused on hunting large herbivores. Lithic industry from layer A is distinguished by the developed microblade production. The toolkit of this layer contains the implements typical of the Final Upper Paleolithic, such as backed microblades, Gravettoid points, and small end-scrapers. Faunal remains from this layer indicate systematic fishing as well as hunting of birds and small mammals.